Breaking Free
by The Pootamis
Summary: His world had come unglued. His father long gone. His extended family abandoning him to a life of shackles. Shackles that he needed to break free of.


Birds chirping happily just outside of an open window still high above in the trees for everyone to hear. The only happiness that could be felt in the air. As for inside of a small hut? Inside of a small hut sitting by a small desk with a few assigned sheets of homework that have remained unanswered and touched over the last few hours a small eleven year old child could be found brooding with his hands clenched into tight fists in his lap. Everything around him was coming apart. This universe. This world. A world that he never knew could be so cruel. Everything was just unfair. His father. His lost father just brought back to him from world's over now dead. Not at the hands of an enemy. No but by the hands of some sort of rare heart disease. Dead to never return. That is what he told them anyways. Told him along with every single member of The Z Fighters that had collected the Dragon Balls in an effort to bring him back. His reason? To keep them safe. Such utter bullshit! For once Vegeta is right. His father is nothing but a coward. A coward that is running from a fight. Running away from his enemies. Didn't he know this wouldn't accomplish anything? Didn't he hear a word he said when he retold him the story of how Garlic Jr had returned during his absence leaving him along with Krillin and Piccolo to deal with the matter?

And speaking of Krillin. His father's so-called best friend where is he now? This man that he thought he could look up to. Thought he could call upon whenever he needed him. A man that is now absent in his life along with the rest of The Z Fighters. His so called extended family. A family that has left him alone along with his mother. No calls. No get to getters. No reunions or new adventures of sorts. Nothing but silence. So much for his extended family. A family that just left him with his grieving and brooding mother. A mother that has always been strict with him. Has always made him live his life the way she wants not caring about what he wants. Doesn't anyone care? For once he just wished he knew what it was like. Just one thing. What it is like to be free. To be truly free. Free of responsibility. Free to choose the decisions. Free of everything. And it is right there. Just outside of these walls. These walls that have made him feel like a prisoner for most of his life. But one thing he has learned over the years. Walls are meant to be broken. Limits are meant to be broken taking you to newer heights. And this was his chance now. His chance to finally break free of the chains attached to him by his mother.

And as such suddenly Gohan snaps up to his feet causing a gust of wind to breeze across his desk knocking away the countless homework assignments off and flutter to the ground before without any hesitation he lifts off from the ground and flies through his open window disappearing silently into the horizon never once looking back. Never once looking back at his former home. Yes his former home. He couldn't go back there. Not now. Not back into his cell. He had to break free. He had to go somewhere that nobody would come looking for him. He surely couldn't go to any of his so called extended family. No they would just try to reason with him before shipping him back to his cell with his warden watching him even closer making sure of no repeat performance.

Where he would go he was unsure of. Just like how long he has been flying for. It must have been for hours so far. And yet he could care less. Could care less feeling for the first time in his young life completely free. Such freedom that has made a smile seemly be plastered across his young face for hours as he silently flies through the air with no destination in mind. With not a care in the world as his eyes remain closed just enjoying the feeling of his long black hair flowing freely with the wind. Silence that fills the air all around him before it is adburntly broken when a loud explosion erupts in the air. A loud explosion that makes his eyes snap open finding a large cloud of smoke erupting from a nearby mountain off in the distance. Such a scene that as though his body is reacting on its own slowly he watches himself make his way towards.

A rocky terrain that gets bigger and bigger by the second before slowly he descends down from the sky and into a small wooden terrain in the mountains. A terrain that the moment his feet hit the ground he can't help but smile towards. Smile towards the trees that surround him. Smile towards the wildlife that is seen retreating into the woods clearly spooked at the explosion. Whatever it was anyways. A place that would have been perfect to hide out in. He had survived in such terrain before. Even worse terrain if he was being honest. This looked like paradise than the place Piccolo had taken him when he was five. Piccolo. His mentor. Just the name now makes him growl. A mentor that he hasn't seen since the day all of them had gathered on The Lookout to wish his father back to life. Some mentor he has turned out to be. But no matter. Right now the namekian isn't on his mind. No the explosion is. The cause for the smoke is as he cautiously makes his way through the wooden terrain following the smoke that fills the air. Smoke he follows to the letter up to the edge of the forest before the sound of two voices is heard. Voices that he can't help but be directed towards a nearby tree and peak his head around the corner and look up towards a small cliff before his eyes widen at what he sees.

Two beings. What looked to be two teenagers. One a black haired teenage boy wearing an orange bandanna around his neck with these piercing blue eyes. As for the other? For his companion the only word that comes to his mind is beautiful. A beautiful blonde haired teenage girl with the very same piercing blue eyes. With the same golden ear rings as her companion. A girl that he can't help but stare at before suddenly as he sees her eyes snapping away from her companion to look his way in a sudden motion Gohan retreats behind the tree leaning his back up against the trunk as his heart beats loudly in his chest. As his cheeks burn up with a hint of a blush breaking through. This flustered look that forces him to close his eyes and take a couple of deep breathes just listening to their hushed voices in the background before the familiar sound of someone taking off into the air causes him to snap his eyes open and once gain peek around the corner.

Peek finding only the blonde haired girl remaining. The blonde haired beauty whose back is turned towards him and is about to take off into the air before her back suddenly straightens. Before her head turns and looks over her shoulder his way having blue meets black. As his eyes become glassy just staring at her in silence before they widen when he sees a smirk coming across her face that is quickly followed by a wink when she tucks a loose piece of her blonde hair behind her ear and flicks her golden earring before she takes off into the air at high speed and disappears into the horizon. Whoever she is. He knew one thing deep down. He wanted nothing more than to see her again.

* * *

Smiling sinisterly like a predator hunting its prey as he continues to listen to the sound of terrified screams filling the air that is like music to his ears continuing his pursuit of the scrambling and retreating citizens in front of his eyes turning hard on the wheel of the hover car that he is found currently driving rounding the corner hard rearing back Android 17 steps down hard on the gas pedal causing the hover car to blaze through the sky at high speed causing the distance between him and a few retreating citizens to be closed quickly before a satisfied smile comes across his face when the sound of sickening crunches are heard over silent screams. But he wouldn't stop. No not when he is having so much fun. Fun that all started three years ago. All started when they had escaped from that disgusting laboratory. When his twin sister and himself had killed the old fool and emerged out from his laboratory with only one goal in mind. To seek out and destroy the one called Goku.

But they had been disappointed. Goku was nowhere to be found. He would never be found for he is no longer part of the living. How this came to be was no concern to them. Now with him out of the way this world was theirs for the taking. And they took it. Took it and have never looked back. The world's so called greatest protectors? Nothing but cockroaches that had been squashed underneath their boots. Piccolo had been the first one to go. Next had come Krillin. Then Tien and Yamcha. Now only two remained. Two unlikely protectors of the planet. Two saiyan warriors. A father and his young son. Yet it is not the ones many would have thought of. Not the father and son combo they would have expected. No, this one is made of royalty. The Prince of All Saiyans Vegeta and his son Trunks. A motherless child. A foolish woman that had thought the security Capsule Corp provided would be enough to protect her from the likes of them. Foolish woman.

And yet there was one more saiyan out there. One young saiyan that has caught their attention. Has caused their interest in him to only intensify through the months. A saiyan warrior that has never once tried to fight them. Has never once tried to stop them from killing countless citizens. But he has always been there. He may be able to hide his face but he can't mask his energy levels. Not all of it anyways always leaving a faint energy trace behind whenever they would start to have fun inside of a city. But no longer. Not after this day. After this day this game of hide and seek would end. They would see to it. She would see to it. He was sure of that.

And as such Android 17 snaps out of his daydream and quickly changes course of the hover car when he sees a couple of citizens retreating inside of what looked to be an abandoned grocery store. A store that he drives the hover car towards with blazing speed before in a sudden move he leaps out of the car in a backflip and listens to the sound of a loud explosion erupt with a pleased smile across his face. Such an explosion that he turns back towards finding the store completely in flames with no chance of any survivors from within.

Staring down from her spot high in the sky with a hint of amusement in her eyes from just watching the almost childlike smile across her twin brother's face as though Christmas had come early rolling her eyes suddenly as the sound of the burning store exploding erupts through the air from a sudden energy ball that is thrown towards the building rolling her eyes Android 18 shakes her head with a slight frown forming across her face.

_What an idiot! Doesn't he realize we need at least some of these disgusting creatures to reproduce!?_

But all thoughts about the stupidity of her twin brother goes out the window when suddenly she senses it. Another energy level. A faint energy level as though someone is trying to mask it. An energy level that she knows like the back of her hand. Her secret admirer. That is what she liked to call him. Her untrained boyfriend. That was the title her twin brother has gotten used to calling the saiyan and she was lucky for even that. He had been hellbent on killing him from day one. He is part of The Z Fighters after all. Or used to be. He is the son of what was supposed to be their greatest conquest. But he wasn't anymore. It is so very confusing and yet she can't help but feel intrigued by the sneaky saiyan. Can't help but continue to like what she sees the more she learns about him. There is more than meets the eye and soon she would learn everything. Soon enough he would be hers.

_Well,well,well. I was wondering when my secret admirer was going to arrive._

Feeling a sudden faint energy level not too far away that is neither of the two saiyan warriors of royalty looking to spoil his fun not even bothering to hide his smirk glancing up Android 17's smirk only widens when he sees a rather pleased grin trying to be suppressed across Android 18's face. Before long he had a strange feeling this duo would be expanded to include a new member. His twin sister already casted her vote and had won his over in convincing matter. There was something about the young saiyan that just interested him. What it is he would never know. He just knew there was something about him and he was more than confident in saying that his twin sister would find out just what that is soon enough.

Faking a yawn forcing an annoyed look across her face reaching out Android 18 extends her left index finger out pointing towards a building off in the distance as she yells out.

" I'm bored with this 17! I'm gonna go over there and check out a few places! Hopefully there will be some kind of clothing store still standing in this disgusting place!"

Being waived off like he doesn't have a care in the world forcing out a huff turning in mid air slowly Android 18 makes a beeline towards the very few remaining buildings left standing in the distance suppressing a smirk that wants to break across her face.

_Today you will be mine. Do you hear me? It was hard enough to convince 17 to let you live. After this day you will be mine Gohan._

Descending down from the sky until her boots hit the ground wrinkling her nose in disgust at the state of the building in front of her standing perfectly still for a few moments searching for the faint power level finding it still there suppressing a smirk tucking a loose piece of her hair behind her ear stalking her way forward without breaking her stride instantly Android 18 sends a small energy ball forward completely evaporating the entrance doors leaving nothing but a large gaping hole in their wake before she disappears into the abyss. Disappears with nothing but the sound of her heels clanging against the ground echoing through the empty corridors. Through the empty hallways of what once used to be some kind of shopping center. A shopping center that she can see has been ravaged for everything inside. Gun stores completely barring with signs of break ins everywhere in sight leaving not one firearm inside. Empty gun racks with only a few dropped shell casings left in their wake. Grocery stores with only canned items left on the shelves. Everything else long gone.

As for the clothing stores? Every single one of them looks as though many panicking citizens had come to steal whatever they could. Some stores in which the glass doors are completely shattered. Looked as though someone had used the place to hide in. But no matter. Nobody stood a chance against her in a fight if that is what it came down too. She would find what she is looking for or else she would make others suffer. And as it turns out luck would be on the side of whatever citizens maybe hiding amongst the shadows here. There is still one store that looks intact. One store whose aisles look as though only a few had ravaged them. The exact store she is looking for as she enters through the entrance doors smashing them up against the wall causing the sound of glass to shatter into thousands of pieces to echo through the room. A sound that she pays no mind to along with what sounds like muffled screams coming from the shadows as she slows stalks her way forward eyeballing every single article of clothing she sees on a couple of nearby racks in the back of the store. Racks that once she approaches and her hands slowly start to slide over a few shirts that are deemed unacceptable suddenly a small smile comes across her face and she swipes a shirt off from the rack before turning to look at herself in a nearby mirror with the shirt in front of her. A reflection that once she presses the shirt to her chest makes her frown before the shirt is tossed off to the side far away from her and she returns her attention back towards the racks. A shirt that is followed by another. Then another until after a couple of moments she feels it again. The faint energy level once again that makes her suppress a grin. The faintest of energy levels coming from nearby. If she was to pinpoint it exactly it's coming from a few aisles over.

_He's getting rather bold isn't he? I'll have to reward him for that._

Silently returning the hanger in her hand back to the rack hearing the sound of a silentest footsteps nearby not even bothering to hide her smirk instantly within a flash Android 18 disappears within a blink of an eye. Disappears causing a hooded figure to stop his advance and look at the vacated spot with a shocked look before suddenly his eyes go wide as saucers when she suddenly reappears right in front of him causing him to drop down on his ass in total shock. Shock from seeing her reappear right before him and do something that he never thought in his wildest dreams to happen. To suddenly drop down and straddle his lap while pinning both of his arms over his head with her right hand as she looks down towards him with a rather pleased look. A look that only intensifies when he feels her lifting up his hood revealing his face to her.

" Hello Gohan."

Receiving nothing but stunned silence feeling her lips curling upward reaching down gently Android 18 strokes Gohan's cheeks causing his eyes to drift towards her hand for a slight moment every single time her thumb strokes his cheek.

" What took you so long? I've been waiting for you. Not many civilians left to terrorize in this city. Don't you know it's rude to keep a girl waiting."

Opening his mouth only to close it immediately feeling completely speechless feeling his throat running dry suddenly Gohan's eyes go wide as saucers when he feels her hand retracting from his cheek and end up on his chest.

" I know what you did and you've got my attention now. You killed Master Rochi."

Suddenly as she sees his eyes getting even wider a grin comes across Android 18's face as her index finger comes to trace circles across his chest.

" You killed the miserable old geezer and made it look like we had done it. I always knew something was different about you. You're nothing like these pathetic humans. You're different."

Gulping his throat as he watches in nothing but silence Android 18 slowly lean her face towards him just as he feels her hot breath touching his face Gohan's eyes widen when he sees a smirk coming across her face.

" Prove me right."


End file.
